If you really loved her
by thebeccac
Summary: While Katara is off looking for Yon Rha, Toph and Sokka have a talk with Aang.


Aang was sitting at the edge of a cliff, just thinking, about Katara. Yesterday, Katara went away with Zuko so she could go avenge her mother. Katara didn't want to hear Aang's wisdom about revenge being bad or revenge 'is like a two-headed rat-viper'. She _had _to face him. Nothing would stand in her way, her rage would only increase, so too her impatience with the rest of her friends. That's what he was thinking about.

'_Should I have gone with her? Should she have just gone alone_?'. He mentally paused and shook his head. '_No, I shouldn't have_'. It was very quiet tonight, since the tide was out, so he could practically hear the person who was standing behind him inhaling and exhaling. It startled him a bit. He didn't like the feeling of being watched and turned around.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes, you seem very .. down, downer than Zuko down." Toph pointed out.

"What are you doing out here? It's _really _cold, and Sokka was wondering if you could make a fire" Toph said.

Aang simply nodded, and brushed the dirt off his pants and began to walk.

"So what _were _you doing?" she repeated. You could practically hear the impatience in her voice.

"Just thinking .. "

"About?" she demanded.

They eventually reached camp again. Toph let out an audible sigh. Even though it was annoying that Aang wouldn't tell her what he was thinking about, she thought she had an idea of what or _who _it could be about, and told herself to be patient - for her patience will be rewarded.

"Hey Toph, hey Aang. Would you mind making a fire, it's getting very chilly? Suki just went back to her tent" Sokka requested.

"Okay" he said.

Aang went down on his knees, and blew an ember onto the stones and sticks that Sokka had collected.

"Where were you?" he asked. " And what were you doing?"

"I was at the edge of that cliff over there and I was-"

"-Thinking" Toph finished for him. Aang passed her a glare depicting his annoyance. Toph could feel his eyes muscles glance in her direction. "What? I might as well say it since you don't feel like sharing anything with us, but I think I know what he's thinking about .. " she uttered.

"What were you thinking about Aang, it's obviously something important if you were pondering this topic for around half an hour" Sokka stated.

"Yeah tell us " Toph pleaded.

Aang's patience was about to run dry with his two friends. 'What if I don't want to tell ye? Have ye ever thought about that?' he thought to himself.

"_Fine_! I was thinking about Katara!" he shouted.

Silence fell between the group.

"Knew it" Toph muttered under her breath.

"Why?" Sokka asked.

"It's because he loves her" Toph joked. Little did she know that she was right, she only intended it to be a joke.

"Fine, I do love Katara!" he yelled.

"Oh .. woah" Toph said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aang asked.

"Katara loves you too, and I didn't think you were serious. I only listen to Sugar Queen's heart beat, I don't pay attention to yours" she answered.

"_Why _do you love Katara though?" Sokka asked.

"Why wouldn't I love her? She's perfect. She's kind, she's brave, she's smart and she's beautiful. She's the reason I can't master the Avatar State" he replied.

"I ... I .. I was gonna say the age difference" Sokka stammered. "Seriously, I know you love her, which kind of annoys me that one of my best friends is in-love with my sister and my sister is in-love with you, but you're 12, she's 14" Sokka explained, but looking at Aang's reaction, he immediately regretted saying that, and never should have said anything at all.

Aang was furious. He even found his answer immature. No, furious was an understatement. '_Did he really just say that, age difference?!' _Aang said to himself. "Really? Age difference?!" Aang exclaimed. "What about your mother and father, isn't there an age difference between your parents, and not just yours, a lot of parents, which by the way are more than two years apart. If you're going to be _that _immature than ye can just leave me alone.

"Aang I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I didn't even think you liked her that much" Sokka said.

"Of course I love her .. " he said simply, after calming down.

"But-" Toph was about to say.

"But what?" Aang asked.

"Why did you let her go?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you really loved her, you wouldn't have let her go on this wild goose chase, searching for the man who killed our mother. You know Katara and grudges, she doesn't let these things slide, and she never will. What if she doesn't come back?" he asked.

That made Aang think about that, but them he remembered what he was thinking about whilst sitting at the edge of the cliff. "Because I trust her and ye should too. I can't exactly tell her not to go, nor can I stop her. No, violence and murder certainly aren't the answer for I know that if she does either or, or both, she _will _regret it. I'm testing her basically"

"That's sneaky, but if you do love her, why didn't you make an effort to stop her?" Toph asked.

"I _do _love her, and I do disagree with her. That man _is_ a monster,and never, ever should have killed your mother, but violence is _not _and _never_ will be the answer. I'm not going to stop her, I've just given her my input, but if my input doesn't work, then it doesn't work, and if she kills him, she kills him, but she _will_ regret it, I _know_ she will. I'm just going to see how far she takes this and if she has considered my thoughts about this at all. We'll know in a few days" Aang explained. "Goodnight" and headed to his tent.

**0o0o0o0o0o**

"Aang, Appa's back!" Sokka called out.

Aang was never so relieved to see him again, but these happy feelings instantly vanished when he couldn't see her figure on the saddle. He only saw Zuko's. '_Where is she_?'

Aang ran up to Zuko once he descended from the saddle.

"Where is she?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

"She's fine, Aang. She's on Ember Island, and I think we should all go over there too. We can stay in our old house there"

" .. Did she .. kill him?" he asked.

"No, she just couldn't. I imagine she heard your voice or something"

'_She did think of what I said_' he said to himself.

"Good .. I'm glad"


End file.
